To belong
by vermicious knids1
Summary: "It means that I don't trust you." he said, arms crossed over his chest. I couldn't help it, I growled in annoyance. I reached down and flicked a finger against his chest. "Listen here shorty, I didn't ask for it. Nor did I ask for your opinion of me. And lastly, what could your village possibly have that I could want?"
1. Chapter 1

I was about halfway to the village I had originally intended to stay in for the night when the rain came.

And the thunder.

And finally, lightning striking down five feet from where I had been walking.

"Merde." I muttered, glancing up at the sky. I hadn't seen this coming.

I covered my head with my red traveling cloak and hurried my steps. Normally, if the weather was this bad I would take cover in a cave or in an abandoned cabin – the countryside was full of them. Romans and thieves had driven the owners away a long time ago. But this forest was mostly new to me, and there weren't any caves or cabins that I could find.

Just when I was resigning myself to sleep under a tree and hope that I wouldn't be struck down during the night, I caught sight of smoke rising over the tree-tops. I continued walking towards it.

I breathed out a sigh of relief when the forest suddenly cleared and I saw a small village, surrounded by thick fortifying walls of wooden logs. Smoke was rising steadily from several chimneys, and my stomach rumbled suddenly – I had forgotten I was hungry.

There were two short men standing guard at the open gate, though they didn't look exactly thrilled to be standing in the rain.

"Who goes there?" one of them asked at my approach, but he didn't seem particularly threatened – mostly bored. I lowered the cloak from my face so they could see me clearly. I must have made quite the messy picture – black, wet hair plastered to my face, clothes near sopping wet, my feet damp with mud.

"I'm just a hungry traveler, seeking a room and board for the night." I said, and they looked at me for a moment, both puzzled. Then one of them cleared their throat awkwardly.

"Miss? Are you traveling alone?"

Ah, so that was why there were staring at me. I smirked and nodded.

"I am. "

They shared another look.

"You have to get our chief's permission. We'll bring you to him directly, just follow us please."

* * *

I had been through this routine several times before in other villages. And yet, this was quite different.

I had never seen a chief and his wife bicker so openly in front of their people before. When I had been brought to their house (the largest in the village, naturally) the wife had opened the door and thrown me a towel even before I could tell her my name.

"My dear, you look positively drenched! " she had exclaimed, before running over to the hearth where a cauldron was simmering with something that smelled vaguely pungent. And there, in a chair that was obviously too small for his stout frame, sat the chief. It looked like he had a bad cold.

The red-headed chief glared at me and rubbed his runny nose.

"it's too late for visitors – much too late, begone with you!" he said, before erupting into a violent sneeze that shook his whole frame. His wife tutted and put his large feet in a basin full of hot water, then spared me a forgiving glance.

"Oh don't listen to him, he's just cranky and repetitive today. What's your name sweetheart?"

"Arabel, madame."

She suddenly gave me more attention then, her eyes full of curiosity. Just the way I hoped she wouldn't react.

"Hmm? That's unusual – where did you say that you were from?" She asked, peering at me. I looked away and attempted a shrug.

"Just here and there, really. So, can I stay? I can do some labor work tomorrow to earn my keep."

"Well you don't have to, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of hands around tomorrow. It's harvesting season you know. In the meantime I know a family down the road, Fulliautomatix and his wife has a spare room – you can stay there for the night."

I bowed my head respectfully and thanked them.

* * *

After eating my fill I promptly went to the spare room and fell into a heavy sleep. I had traveled on foot and slept outside most nights, and it was a welcome change to sleep indoors, in an a actual bed. But I knew that I couldn't stay long – I would never allow myself to do that.

I never stayed long in one place, and it had been that way for over 10 years. I never traveled with company. I was a thief, a trader, anything that would keep me moving from place to place.

The next morning after a small breakfast of fresh eggs and bread, I set out to see what sort of work that needed to be done in the village. Impedimenta, the chief's wife, had tried to wheedle me into sewing tasks, which I balked at. I had never been good at it.

"Do you need meat? I'm a good hunter." I said, watching as a couple of children chased each other between the cottages armed with fake swords and tiny shields. Impedimenta scoffed and laughed at my suggestion.

"Hunting? Oh you don't want to bother with something as odious as that!" she exclaimed, hands on her hips. I watched her silently.

"But you need it, yes?"

"Well, we usually have the men go out and take down a couple of boars-"

"Then that is what I shall do. " I said, leaving her to stand and stare after me as I walked off into the forest.

Since I had been living on my own for so long, it was only natural that I was good at hunting down food when I needed to. I had two small knives for the task always on hand – one for hand-to-hand combat mostly, and the other, longer and sharper blade, was for tasks like these.

I walked silently for a short while before I heard familiar grunts and squeals. In a clearing just up ahead, three boars were grazing. Instead of charging on them from this vantage point, I aimed to get as close to them as I could without them noticing. I avoided the clearing, circling it until the boars were just a few feet away from where I was standing.

One of the three was fatter than the others. Good – it meant that it wouldn't be able to run as fast.

Just as I jumped out from behind the tree and was inches away from killing it, all I heard was the quick sound of approaching footsteps before I collided with someone so hard that we both fell to the ground and rolled around several times before it came to a stop.

A string of colorful curses left my mouth as I clutched at my nose. I looked to my side and saw a short blonde-haired man with an equally blonde mustache sitting up, and similarily rubbing his head from the intense impact, groaning.

He noticed me shortly after, and he scooted backwards, eyes widening as he looked at me. I glowered in return.

"I believe an apology is in order." I muttered as I got up and dusted off my dress. I felt my nose and felt something trickle out – my fingers showing up bloody. Great.

To his credit – he did look mortified by what had just happened. But the mortification on his face gradually turned into an expression that I couldn't place.

"Uhm, hello? Anyone in there?" I asked, and he blinked before clearing his throat.

"Forgive me, I had no idea – I thought I was hunting alone." he said, shuffling his feet.

"You were. I just happened to be here as well."

"Wait here, let me…."

The man took out a small piece of cloth from his pocket and held it out to me. It smelled of herbs. I realized that it was for my bloody nose. I winced as I held it to my face, the blood quickly soaking into the fabric.

"Thank you." I said, and he nodded.

In silent accord, we sat down on a pair of nearby rocks and waited for my nose to stop bleeding.

"You from the village nearby?" I asked, my voice sounding stuffy and he nodded.

"I'm Asterix, do you live around here too? I haven't seen you before…." Was that just me or did he sound very hopeful? I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Ah, no. But I imposed on your village hospitality the other night. The rain...I couldn't sleep outdoors." I explained.

And for some reason, after I had said this, the man's whole demeanor changed. His posture became stiff, and he started eyeing me suspiciously.

"Is that so?" he murmured.

"Yes – well, I had meant to stay in Gatilafix but it was too far away. "

"So it was unplanned."

"Yes, that's what I'm saying."

"Hm."

It was obvious that he didn't believe me, but why he wouldn't was beyond me.

"Are you implying something?" I asked, frowning down at him. One of the feathers in his hat flickered, his dark brown eyes now hard as flint.

"I'm just observing that it's unusual, for someone like you to come along to this particular village, without an ulterior motive in mind, who just happens to run into me."

There was so much wrong in that sentence I didn't even know where to begin. My temper starting to boil, I got up from the rock and forgot about my bleeding nose. Someone like me.

"What the hell does that mean?! "

"It means that I don't trust you." he said, arms crossed over his chest. I couldn't help it, I growled in annoyance. I reached down and flicked a finger against his chest.

"Listen here shorty, I didn't ask for it. Nor did I ask for your opinion of me. And lastly, what could your village possibly have that I could want?"

This last question seemed to stump him, his expression losing some of its coldness. But before he could answer me, a deep rumble shook the forest floor beneath our feet.

At first I thought it was a large boulder coming towards us, but it turned out to be one of the largest men I had ever seen, and just skidding to a stop seemed to take him forever. Dust settled in his wake, and he was carrying about five boars on his back and under his arms. He beamed down at Asterix with childish glee.

" I won again, I won again!" he sang over and over, until he noticed that I was standing there too.

I waved once at him in greeting, and that's when I noticed that my nose was bleeding again.


	2. Chapter 2

Once back at the village, we ran into the druid who took one look at my nose, than cast an ugly look at Asterix and the larger man next to me.

"Come with me and we'll get that tended to." He simply said, turning on his heel. I followed him, casting one look back at the two men, the larger one looking really confused while Asterix stalked off in another direction.

Whatever, I'd be leaving soon enough anyway.

I was reluctant to enter the druid's cottage. Where I had come from, only selected people were allowed in the druid's home, and was shown immense respect.

He seemed to catch on however, when he noticed me lingering in the doorway. He stroked his long, white beard and hummed.

"Ah, I've neglected to introduce myself. How silly – my name is Panoramix. No need to stand on ceremony, do step inside." he said, and after watching him carefully, I did as he said.

His cottage smelled of strong herbs, lavender and something else I couldn't place – something peaceful. There were wooden shelves everywhere with bottles of various shapes and sizes on them, as well as a handful of books. He turned to one of these shelves and took down a few of the bottles, placing them on a work bench behind him. Without turning to look, he spoke up again.

"Take a seat, I'll be with you in a moment."

There was another table with chairs in front of the fire, and I sat down on one of these as I watched him work. There was hardly a pause, his hands working expertly with the ingredients, pouring the contents into a small bowl. I was so transfixed by this that I hardly noticed when he started asking me questions.

"Have you been in the area long?"

"No, not very. Only since yesterday."

"You travel, I understand. Outside of Gaul as well?"

"Yes, sometimes."

Here the druid fell quiet as he stared down into the bowl with a thoughtful frown, and then he muttered " just one more thing, that's what it needs." Then he plucked a leaf from a vase full of green herbs, pulverizing it in his hand as he threw it in. It made a strange purplish cloud burst into light before it fell away.

My eyes widened and I sat up straighter. I'd never seen anything like that before.

Panoramix glanced up at me just then, and I averted my eyes, not wanting him to know how impressed I was. It did not do well for me to show my emotions. It never had.

Just like Asterix had with the piece of cloth, Panoramix handed me a similar one – but this one smelled more potent somehow. And when he gestured for me to put it to my nose, I felt a stinging sensation.

But Panoramix just nodded with satisfaction.

"It's supposed to hurt a little – that means that it's working. " he said, smiling jovially as he began working on something else by the bench. Unlike Asterix, he didn't seem to mind the fact that I was a stranger.

"Thank you. You didn't need to do this." I said, and he scoffed, waving a hand in the air.

"We can't have the mysterious village guest gushing blood, now can we?"

I frowned down at the table.

"I'm not staying long."

At this, he just smiled and continued chopping herbs.

"If you say so. The clouds are gathering up again. "

I looked out the window – because surely not. The skies had been clear just an hour ago. But he was right – I could see them coming on the horizon. I bit back a disappointed groan.

"That's fine. It can't possibly get here until I reach the next village."

But right after I said it, I saw the sky get pierced with lightening – thunder echoing in its wake. Behind me, I could hear Panoramix humming happily to himself, and I turned to look at him through narrowed eyes.

"Did you-"

This man must be the worst liar in all of Gaul. He blinked and put a hand to his chest like I had tried to defile his honor.

"Who me? I'm just a simple druid."

I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed.

"Simple isn't the word I'd use..." I muttered, and he just shrugged.

"What does it matter if you stay another night or not? Are you in a hurry somewhere?" which was a good question. And I didn't really have an answer for him. Not one that I wanted to give anyway.

"It's complicated."

He gave me a long look and nodded sagely.

"Perhaps things will look up, soon enough."

I scoffed at that.

"Why, can you predict the future too?" I asked, and he touched his nose and winked.

"Let's keep that our little secret. Now run off, I have important thing to attend to – I'm sure that the same couple who put you up last night shall be up for the task yet again."


	3. Chapter 3

_author's note : I've tried to write this with the canon in mind, and since the recent animated film "the secret of the magic potion" shows that there are more gaulish villages across gaul that have not been overtaken by romans rather than there being just one village, thats the information I'm going with. There will be of course, a few additions of poetic license further ahead…_

_Sorry for this chapter being so short, the next one will be longer!_

* * *

I did stay another night, much to my own frustration. But Fulliautomatix and his wife didn't seem to mind at all, nor did any of the other villagers -well, except for one.

Instead of eating dinner separately that night, all the villagers gathered in the chief's large cottage around a long circular table laden with all kinds of festive dishes– the occasion? It was the beginning of a new month.

When I asked why this was celebrated, Fulliautomatix just laughed.

"Why not?" he asked in return. Well, I suppose that was one way to look at it.

I did begin to wonder though. How come a village in Armorica – an area of Gaul where the romans had mostly taken over, had such an abundance of food and water, seemingly undisturbed and untouched by roman armies? I thought about this as we gathered to eat around the table, and I also noticed that the atmosphere and the spirits were high – nobody was talking about war, or any incoming threats. Everyone seemed happy, or just busy gossiping or bickering with other people in the village.

The only person who seemed slightly concerned and withdrawn was Asterix, who still shot me inscrutable glances now and then across the table. I tried my best to ignore him.

Wine and beer was readily drunk by all present, including the chief, who got up from his seat and began walking along the table – despite his wife trying to grab him by the cloak and reign him in like a misbehaving dog.

He tried clumsily to get away from her grasp, as he raised his goblet of wine to the roof and began speaking above the din of voices.

" I want it carved into every tree around Gaul – every tree! That I, Vitalstatix is the best chief, and the most graceful one, in existence!" he exclaimed to everyone or anyone who wanted to listen. Most of the villagers just laughed in response, or raised their own goblets in accord.

Fulliautomatix who was sitting next to me, hiccuped loudly and stood up abruptly, wobbling on his feet.

"I'll help you! I'll do it!" he shouted.

"Useless – as if you can even spell all that." a blonde man with long braids muttered, nibbling on a dish made of fish.

"I warn you, if you harm even one single tree that didn't need to be touched, I shall put you under a spell of my own making." Panoramix suddenly spoke up, earning a scared look from the chief as he cowered back down.

It was like sitting at a large family gathering – where everyone, regardless of position or stature, viewed each other equally. It was more than a little odd to witness.

And it made me feel more out of place than I already felt. As soon as I had finished eating, I fully intended to get up and leave the table. But fate had something different in store for me that night.

For quite suddenly, the front door to the cottage burst open, a woman standing in the doorway. She looked distraught and drenched from the rain that was pouring outside, red hair plastered to her head. There was pure panic in her eyes.

"Our children! Retamatix! Someone has kidnapped our children!"


	4. Chapter 4

With these words, everyone in the room fell utterly quiet for a long moment. Then, one man stood u p (presumably Retafix) and went over to his panicking wife by the doorway.

"What are you talking about? They're with Bacteria, all the children eat supper there, you know that."

But she just shook her head repeatedly, and then started crying, clutching at her husbands shoulders for strength.

"I saw them. They came and they took our children -" she whispered. Another woman interjected, looking horrified.

"All of them?!" she yelled, but the woman just shook her head again, swallowing hard.

"No, just our son and daughter. I tried to stop them but I didn't have any magic potion in me!"

I frowned at this choice of words. Magic potion?

The chief, having sobered up at hearing the news, took charge of the situation.

"They can't have gotten far, not in this weather. We'll start searching the area immediately." he announced to the room.

* * *

I told myself not to get involved.

_It is their village, their situation to handle as they see fit. You'll be gone in the morning anyway._

The wife, Liliastix, still hadn't stopped crying. The men of the village had left to search for the children, but I had a sinking feeling that they wouldn't be found – at least not tonight. Most of the villagers had left the chief's cottage by now, and only a handful of women remained behind with the mother to try and comfort her.

_This happens all the time. You've seen it before. This hardly matters to you._

_And yet._

There was something I needed to ask her. Something that would make the decision for me, whether I wanted to help them or not. I drained the last of the wine in my goblet and approached Liliastix when the other women were busy making her something soothing to drink. I sat down next to her without saying anything at first, the sound of her tears mingling with the rain outside.

"I know this is hard. But I need you to try – do you remember what they looked like? The people that took your children?" I asked slowly, trying to sound gentle.

"I don't – I don't, I'm not sure. " she said, her breathing uneven as she tried to look at me. I leaned forward and tried to keep eye-contact with her.

"Did you see how many they were?" I asked, and this time I saw her try and focus. And when next she spoke she sounded more sure.

"Yes. Three of them."

I breathed in deeply and asked her the final question. And I was praying for her to say no.

"Did any of them ride a horse?"

This time she did not hesitate with her response. She looked up at me with wide eyes.

"They all did. Black stallions – but I couldn't see their faces I-"

I closed my eyes briefly. I hadn't seen them for a long time. I had been hoping they had all somehow perished or been killed by the romans. But of course they hadn't – I should have known.

"Thank you. That's all I needed to know."

* * *

Much as I had suspected, the men came back shortly after, having nothing to report – except for finding a red ribbon belonging to the little girl.

They all gathered in the chief's cottage once more, trying to decide how to proceed. This is where I would have to step in.

"Surely it must be the romans trying to get to us once more!" an older man spoke up, waving his walking stick around.

" – but doing something as petty and horrible as this is even beneath them I should think." Panoramix said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. And he was right about that.

"It could be Sulfurix wanting revenge. He would definitely do something like this and kidnap two sweethearts like Instapix and Littlestix. " Asterix commented, pacing back and forth. Obelix shrugged.

"I agree. Who else could it be?"

I stood up from my seat and cleared my throat.

"Gentlemen, I think I know who kidnapped the children, unfortunately."

"Who are they?" The chief asked, and I answered, giving them a half-truth.

"Bandits. I ran across them a few miles back – I think they smuggle people over to rome so they can be sold as slaves. Children fetch a good prize on the market, these days. "

"You sound like you know a lot about it." A familiar voice spoke up, and I turned to look at Asterix – who had a look on him that told me that I had definitely overstayed my welcome.

"I know enough. " I said, my voice cold and hard.

The chief scratched at his head and then suddenly stood up from his throne.

"Well, we should waste no time in going after them. Asterix, Obelix – since you two are this village finest warriors, you should be the ones to go after them."

I blinked several times, my eyebrows rising up to my hairline.

"Finest warrior?! Him?" I asked, and just barely suppressed a chuckle, watching as the little man in question turned red in the face from what I supposed was anger. That just made it even more funny.

"O chief, I would ask you to kindly ask this stranger leave us now that she has imparted us with all the information we need to know." he muttered, turning up his nose at me.

We exchanged glares that, if anyone had been standing in the way, would surely have people burst into flames.

"Actually, I have another suggestion." Panoramix raised his hand and said, making everyone look at him. He was smiling in a way that was making me very ill at ease.

"Seeing as Arabel here is the only one that knows the men by sight, and seems capable enough, why doesn't she go along with them?"


	5. Chapter 5

_I knew I couldn't trust that old geezer_, I thought as I threw him a look full of disbelief.

And for once, the short, distrusting warrior and I were in complete agreement.

"Her – coming with us to – have you completely lost your mind?!" Asterix all but shouted in the old man's face – looking like an angry terrier more than anything in the process. But Panoramix merely raised one eyebrow in response.

"Not yet, at any rate. But it seems to be like you two could benefit with a little bit of company on the way. There is still so much us gauls do not know about the world beyond these protected walls."

"I have to say that I agree with our druid – and he is never wrong, is he?" The chief said, making Asterix growl lowly in response, before he stalked off from the crowd with a confused Obelix in tow.

I watched them go, waiting until they'd left to have my say in the matter.

"But sir, perhaps it's not the best-"

"You would have gone after them yourself anyway, correct?"

I frowned at Panoramix.

"How do you know that?"

"I know your type, traveler. Despite how you make yourself seem."

I drew back at that and refused to answer.

* * *

He was right of course. But only because knew exactly who their attackers were, and how much danger they were really in.

I tried to get up the following morning as early as I could, intending on heading off without the two. Who cares about what an obviously senile druid thinks? I could handle the matter by myself.

But as I walked out of the ironworker's cottage, I saw that they were already waiting by the gate. But I had the distinct impression that it was not because they were being courteous. Promises seemed to matter in this village. As I walked up to them, Asterix was polishing his feathered helmet in a detached manner and Obelix was playing with his tiny dog, and for a second I truly felt the truth of the statement "ignorance is bliss".

"Nice morning, isn't it?" I asked.

"It could have been nicer." Was Asterix curt reply, without even looking my way. But somehow, we started off on our journey without any bigger insults thrown at each other.

_Great, now I had to somehow ditch them along the way._ Because I had lied before – the children would not be taken to Rome.

* * *

Obelix was a bigger conversationalist, and told me that the pair of them had been to Rome many times before, as well as Africa, Britannia and a strange new land across the oceans.

"What did you do in all these places?" I asked, curious. Obelix shrugged his massive shoulders, like a trip halfway around the world was all in a day's work.

"Why, we punched the living daylights out of people who weren't very nice!" he exclaimed with pride. I blinked, coughed, and tried not to laugh.

"I see. And how were you not stopped?"

He looked at me with big eyes.

"Don't you know? Everyone in our village just drinks a little sip of the magic potion and poof! We can take on anybody. But me? I'm not even allowed a taste of it."

I tried to process all this – surely, this must be a joke.

"And why not?" I asked, playing along.

But Obelix didn't answer – Asterix did. Speaking for the first time in the few hours we'd been walking along the path in the dense forest. But he spoke over his shoulder, and didn't turn to look at me fully.

"Because he fell in the cauldron as a babe, that's why. He's got enough superhuman strength in him to last a lifetime."

I snorted and shook my head.

"Right. And you expect me to believe all this?" I asked. This time he really did look at me – dark eyes searching.

"Is that not why you came to our village in the first place? "

What was this guy's problem?! I walked ahead of him and blocked his path, forcing him to stop walking.

"Like I told you before, no. Even if I believed you, which I don't – a magic potion would do nothing to solve my problems."

A little too late I realized what I had tacitly admitted. Asterix looked up at me – and for once, there was no anger or dark suspicion in his eyes, but a strange curiosity.

That was when Obelix suddenly started shouting, jumping up and down on the spot like an excited child, pointing at the road ahead of us.

"Look! Romans!"

* * *

Sure enough, there was a blockade on the road ahead, guarded by five Roman soldiers. Immediately my hand went to the handle of the knife at my belt, and I edged towards the grass – away from the path where they could see us.

But the two gauls seemed hardly fazed at all by this – in fact, Obelix made a mad dash ahead of us. I stared after him – wondering if he was either very brave or very foolish. But then a short moment later, I saw him reach the first roman and punch him so hard, the man went flying into the bushes.

"Well, we could use a little exercise I suppose." Asterix said, shrugging before he reached for the flask at his hip and took a swig from it.

I opened my mouth to say that maybe it wasn't the best thing for him to get involved at all, and that getting drunk wouldn't solve this – but then kept it open and said nothing as his eyes began to glow a golden yellow hue.

Then his whole body sparked, like he had been directly hit by lightening – it rippled through him, rather than harming him at all. I took several steps back, watching in shock.

Then just like nothing of the ordinary had happened, he wiped his mouth quickly. When he noticed that I was not anywhere near him, he turned back to look at me. He smirked, and there was a strange energy about him now that was not there before.

"You coming or what?"


	6. Chapter 6

To say that I was surprised when I saw the little warrior pick up and punch a man twice his size is a big understatement.

_Like he weighed no more than a feather._

Was that even possible – could a potion do that? It was honestly shocking. As I was thinking this, Asterix turned to look at me with a smug expression. But rather than giving him the satisfaction of being impressed, I sheathed my sword and rolled my eyes.

The two remaining romans were standing to the side, shaking with fear in the process, letting us pass. As we did, I heard them whisper to each other.

"I told you they were going to come through here sooner or later!"

"Oh man, this is the last time I request for a shift change..."

* * *

It would take us at least a week to reach Rome. More than enough time to find a good opportunity to leave these two behind. In the meantime, the two didn't exactly sprint on our journey – walking along the road like they had all the time in the world.

"You don't seem too worried about the children..." I remarked, to which Asterix shrugged one shoulder and looked off into the distance with a strange expression on his face.

"We have a history with rome and its ruler. Most people there know who we are." He said, and then looked at me closely with that suspicious expression again.

"It's odd that you don't know."

I met his gaze, but, afraid of what he might see, I dodged and looked away after a moment.

"I've...had other things on my mind than what passing rumors say."

As if on cue after I said this, we saw something up ahead on the road – a black creature that leapt across it like a phantom.

"What was that?" Asterix asked aloud, and oddly enough, the feathers on his helmet lowered – like an animal being cautious.

"Maybe a boar – a really huge one!" Obelix exclaimed enthusiastically, but somehow I doubted that.

When we came to the point in the road where it had moved, the tracks in the ground made it easy to tell exactly what it was. And sure enough, in a nearby clearing there it stood.

It was a magnificent black horse, with flanks that glowed near-white where the light hit it. But it stood with its head lowered, its legs shaking. It had a bridle and saddle, but no rider. It was both a welcome sight, but also another omen of what was to come.

I began to edge my way closer to it slowly, feeling that it might bolt at any minute. But it had run for quite a while, I could tell – it was exhausted, the poor thing. When I got closer, I also saw that there were red and irritated scabs on its hindlegs. It looked mistreated, and when I stepped on a branch, the horse reared its head to look at me with wild, terrified eyes.

I stilled, and observed how fast it breathed.

"Shhhh, it's okay now. It's going to be okay. " I said slowly, calmly. Then, pretending as if the horse wasn't there at all, I sat down on the grass and took out a small apple from my satchel. I bit into it, making sure that it was heard.

After a minute of this, the horse slowly laid down on the grass too –mostly because it was exhausted enough as it was - but ears still perked in my direction – its nostrils flaring. It would fall asleep soon, but I could tell that it was hungry.

Carefully, I walked silently over to it, holding up the apple.

At first it flinched, moving its head away almost violently, growling slightly. I didn't let myself be frightened or intimidated.

"Hey, there's no need for that. Come on."

It scoffed loudly, as if in disbelief and I smiled. It had a quite distinct personality. I laid the apple down right in front of him, and waited.

"Go on – it's for you."

It hesitated a bit, its eyes darting between me and the apple several times before it reached down, angling its neck to grab the apple, making a quick meal out of it. While he ate, I stroked its mane downwards and spoke softly.

"You are done serving any masters. You are free to do as you choose."

I had frankly quite forgotten about the two gauls, and was reminded again when I heard them approaching from behind.

"It sure looks like you know what you're doing." Obelix commented, sounding for once like he had a scrap of intelligence.

"I grew up around a tribe that lived their lives around horses. Spent a lot of time interacting with them, as it were."

We ended up camping for the night not far from where we found the horse. The horse followed in our wake, but several paces behind.


	7. Chapter 7

If it had been solely up to me, I would have convinced my temporary traveling companions to camp outdoors for the night – which would have made my disappearing act easier to perform.

Instead, we were to be welcomed by a village that the two gauls seemed to be very much familiar with.

"True, their druid is terrible – but they're still nice folks." Asterix commented.

Without much warning, Obelix slapped me on the back with a force almost strong enough to knock me over.

"Oh you'll love it in Tulusa Arabel! Their food is legendary!" he said enthusiastically as I wheezed for breath that had been caught in my lungs.

"Ah, I'm sure I will…"

The dark stallion had continued to follow us a few paces behind, for what reason I didn't really get. It was obviously wild enough to manage on it's own. I looked back at it and frowned.

I stopped on the road and walked up to it, and attempted to shoo it away.

"Go on, live your life! You're free!"

While it did rear back a few steps, it didn't do as I said at all.

"Come on, I don't even have any apples left!"

Probably just to be stubborn and annoying, the stallion now just sat down like a dog, staring at me calmly.

"Awww, he likes you." Obelix said helpfully as I grunted and kicked at the dirt.

"No, no, no!"

Asterix walked up and looked far too happy about this development – he was turning out to be not only annoying but also sadistic.

"I think he does."

* * *

It was not that I disliked horses, far from it. But there are things that you cannot simply discard – memories that are far too bloody to touch.

Nevertheless, there was nothing much to be done at the present – and I hoped that someone at the village we were headed to were in need of a stubborn animal.

The sun was close to setting over the horizon when we arrived, a slight chill to the air arriving along with it. Just as the gauls own village, this one was also surrounded by a thick wooden barricade, though this one looked in much need of repair. But unlike the gaul village, the gates here were firmly closed.

Obelix did the knocking as Asterix shouted up to the man standing guard above.

"Oi! You can go on and open the gates!"

"Who goes there?"

"Asterix and Obelix, as well as a...uh, helper."

I rolled my eyes at the very reluctantly given title. Well, I guess there could have been worse things he could have called me.

Despite the haphazard barricades, inside the village was flourishing. All around people went about their day, the men coming back from hunting – women carrying overflowing baskets of vegetables and fruit. People trying to haggle at a small market selling knick-knacks and pottery. Children running and playing with each other, while the scent of food cooking flavored the air.

For some reason, it all made me unsure and nervous.

And out of the heavy throng of people, the chief of the village appeared – apparently very happy to see the two gaulish warriors. It was easy to recognize him as chief, because he was the only one wearing a slightly ridiculous looking crown made out of animal bones. As many in the village, he had red, flowing long hair and freckles across his face and bare arms.

"Ah, finally you decide to grace us with a visit! It has been too long." he said in a loud booming voice. Asterix inclined his head in greeting and Obelix did the same.

"Chief, I wish I could say that it was only for pleasure this time around." Asterix said, and the chief sighed and nodded.

"It rarely ever is with you two – and er, the third and fourth one..."

Wait, fourth?

It was then that I felt a huff of breath on the back of my head and realized that the damn horse had followed me inside the village gates. Of course it had.

* * *

Obelix had been right. The food was good – delicious even. But still I picked at my food, my eyes and ears busy and on guard against my surroundings. There was really no need for it though – I was surrounded at a round table with people that seemed to have no worries or cares at all. The people of the village were all gathered around a huge round table, a flaming pit in the middle where the food was being prepared.

The children had been put to bed early, while the adults feasted and drank ale, laughing and talking merrily – especially Obelix, who seemed to be well on his way on a fourth wild boar fully eaten. Asterix was conversing with the chief a few chairs away from mine, looking amused but not as carefree.

"Are you ill?"

I almost jumped in my seat when Obelix addressed me, and I craned my neck to look up at him next to me.

"Pardon?" I asked, and he gestured to my almost full plate of meat stew.

"You've barely touched it – if you don't want the rest..."

I shrugged and after a moment of deliberation, I scooted the plate over to him.

"Here, you can have it."

Despite all the food he had already eaten, Obelix face lighted up like this was his first real meal in weeks. I decided to retire from the table, made sure that nobody saw me leave – even though the chances of that were minimal, as the feast was slowly turning into a party of the ages. Someone had brought out drums and other musical instruments as I got up to leave, and as I walked up to the stables at the very edge of the village, a steady thrum of music filtered the air.

The black stallion had been given a healthy portion of hay, and was not alone in the stalls – two other horses with thick calf muscles and long, bristly hair stood and ate in peaceful silence next to him. His head bobbed up as I approached, and for once it didn't feel like a nuisance.

I walked up to his stall and leaned against it, sighing as I did, finally letting go of the careful guard I had kept up all day.

"Well, this is a fine mess, isn't it?" I said out loud – not sure if I was talking to the horse or not.

"That depends what you're referring to." a voice suddenly spoke up out of absolutely _nowhere_, and I jumped around and yelped in surprise.

"Ahh!"

Of course it was him.

"Oh, did I frighten you?" Asterix asked, and it was impossible to tell if he was sarcastic or not. I held a hand up to my chest, my heart beating wildly still.

"No!" I insisted, and he looked a quarter amused and a quarter confused.

"Oh, it sounded like you were-"

"Nevermind that. Why aren't you back there still?"

"Just what I was going to ask you actually."

"Well I asked first." I said back, sounding exactly six years old but not caring in the slightest. I was taken aback however by the disarming way he was regarding me – for once no suspicion, or disregard evident.

"Arabel, truly."

I regarded him for a long moment, then my eyes strayed back to the party. I lowered my voice when I spoke next, unsure why.

"Truly? These places...I don't feel...comfortable."

"Why not?" He asked, his voice nearly as low as mine.

But I couldn't answer that. I didn't know how. Somehow, during this silence, I had skidded down the wall of the stable and was now sitting on the ground.

"It's not so hard you know." he said then after a while.

"What is?" I asked, looking up at him.

But instead of answering, he just looked at me as if he was trying to see through me. It was unnerving and intense.

"Nothing." he finally muttered, and walked away.


	8. Chapter 8

_author's note : Excuse this very short chapter, the next one will most certainly be longer!_

* * *

I awoke just before dawn, and as per usual couldn't fall back asleep, so I rose. Only a few villages were awake at this time, morning hunters on their way to catch something to eat for breakfast. Not even the rooster had crowed yet, the village silent and still.

Dragging a hand over my face tiredly, I got out of the cot and got dressed. I had decided that it would be dumb to try and get away now, since the whole village could be deployed to find me. It would have to be next time we set up camp for the night, in the wild.

I had spotted a lake nearby before we arrived, and I was in much need of freshening up.

* * *

Thankfully it seemed like the lake was not for fishing, as there were nobody there but me when I arrived. I quickly undressed behind a shrouded tree and repressed a chill as I walked through the grass to the edge of the lake, stepping a foot in. The water was cold, but not uncomfortably so – during the day it would probably become more temperate, but that was not a luxury I could afford waiting for.

Quickly I descended into the water, until it was up to my shoulders – I breathed in sharply and ducked my head, going under.

I resurfaced a few feet away, letting out a chattering breath – my dark hair swirling around on the surface of the water like half-dead sea serpents. I swam around for a bit and used the tiny bit of soap I always carried around with me to clean myself up. Just as I was getting done with my hair, I heard the grass rustling behind me.

Immediately cautious, I carefully lowered myself into the water and hid behind a half-submerged rock, peeking around the side to try and locate what had made the noise.

I was surprised to see Asterix, sitting by the foot of a nearby tree. He was holding his helmet in his hands, polishing it with a small rag. After a moment he stopped and scrutinized it, then wiped something off with his thumb. With the helmet off, he looked different – less harsh, somehow. His hands were rough and callused, and there was a small but deep scar on his forehead that I hadn't seen before.

Suddenly, without warning, he looked up in my direction and I quickly hid again behind the rock.

* * *

"Where did you go?" Obelix asked when I got back to the village and entered the hut that the two gauls shared – at this time most of the people had eaten their breakfast, except for the three of us.

"Never mind that. What's for breakfast?" I asked as I sat down at their table. Obelix, with a mouth full of food, answered.

"The best stuff! Chicken and wild boar!"

"And for those who prefer something lighter, fish." Asterix spoke up as he sat down on the opposite side of the table to eat. Since I had eaten so little last night, I was near famished now. I had a big helping of the fish, along with some fresh boiled eggs and a hot drink with herbs in it.

Obelix noticed, and gave me a big thumbs up, nodding encouragingly.

I smiled and nodded back.

* * *

"You are welcome back anytime!" The red-headed chief said in a dramatic voice, looking very sorry that we were going so soon.

"We thank you for letting us stay, chief. "

"No problem, none at all. And you – are you sure that you wish to leave your animal behind? He looks agitated." the chief said to me – I chanced a glance at the stables and indeed, the black stallion was not happy that we were parting ways, trampling around in his stall and letting out loud, annoyed huffs.

"Oh, he's just shy."

But no sooner than the words were out of my mouth, did the horse in question neigh like a banshee (yes that is possible) as well as break down the stable door by simply running through them by sheer force of will. The few villagers that were around it took a few steps back, and I didn't exactly blame them.

The horse and I locked eyes then, and maybe -

"Okay fine, come along then. We don't have all day."


	9. Chapter 9

We did not go empty-handed from the village of Tulusa – we were given a small ration each of meat and cheese for the journey, which admittedly wouldn't last long for some of us.

"Obelix..." Asterix said in a tone of reprimand, as the much bigger gaul licked his fingers for crumbs after already eating his rations.

"What? I needed a little pick-me up."

I watched them bicker back and forth with some amusement. It was evident that they had known each other for quite a while.

We were just leaving through the main gates when I felt something tugging at the bottom of my tunic. I looked down to my right and saw one of the children from the village standing there, a little girl. She pressed something small into my palm and closed it with smaller hands, grinning toothily at me.

I blinked at her, confused.

No sooner than she had appeared did she run back to the village, laughing as she did. When she was gone I looked to see what she had given me.

It was a thin piece of leather that had been woven into a small symbol of sorts, with a thin strap decorated with tiny blue beads. I frowned down at it, trying to understand what it was supposed to mean.

"It's for good luck."

I looked up sharpy and Asterix walked up and pointed to the charm in my palm and explained.

"They are said to protect travelers against all harm and illness. You should keep it close to your chest."

"It's such a little thing..." I murmured, not believing a word he said. But I did as he said, more for the fact since it was the first gift I had received in longer than I could remember.

* * *

The day's journey was mostly uneventful – at least we were headed in the right direction, south.

Which was also, coincidentally where my birthplace was located – along with the two children, and the people who had kidnapped them. I was certain of this.

While the two gauls hadn't payed attention, I had been keeping an eye on the tracks. The way the earth in the road had been shifted, the way the air smelled, the discarded and tattered bridle on the side of the road – the telltale symbol of a horse carved into the leather -the very same one that had been burned into my skin when I was a child.

Back then, I had been the only one from my family to escape the village alive, before it was pillaged and burned to the ground. It came out of nowhere – the attack.

"Arabel?" the voice sounded so far away that I didn't respond at first. Then I shook my head and remembered where I was, when I was.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, confused. Obelix was looking at me and scratching his head.

"Why are you stopping? You can't be tired already."

"Of course not. Don't be silly."

* * *

As evening once again approached, I made mental preparations to leave as soon as the other two had fallen asleep for the night. It wouldn't be hard to loose them in the forest, and I was good at hiding.

We found a clearing that was pleasant enough, and no sooner did Obelix run off to hunt down a boar with eager steps. I watched him run off, fascinated.

"Always hungry, that one..."

Asterix scoffed in response and went off to gather firewood. Wow – I had never met someone who hated me so clearly. I would be glad to be rid of them both, after this night was over. An hour and a large dinner later, we all laid out around the small campfire to sleep.

But there was one thing I hadn't counted on. The damn horse.

I had just risen without waking the gauls and was about to leave the clearing and the two men behind forever when I heard a loud whinny.

"What?" I hissed at it, and it stomped the ground several times, seemingly out of frustration.

"Fine, you can come with me – lets just go!"

While this seemed to soothe it momentarily, as I softly walked through the forest with it in tow, it kept bumping into my back and tugging at my traveling cloak. I growled low in my throat and turned to face it, blowing hair out of my face.

"What is it now?!" I yelled silently and it looked back at me in a way that bizarrely managed to judge me in a way that a horse really shouldn't be able to do.

"You want to go back, then go back! I can't." I muttered and continued to walk. But I couldn't, because now the horse went quickly to stand in my way, looking at me imploringly. I tried to remain angry, but it was late and I was tired. Sighing, I gave up and leaned against him, my temper melting away.

"It's….complicated." I said and petted his long, untamed mane.

That was when I heard unfamiliar voices in the distance.

* * *

I had ducked down among the trees and sought out the source of the voices – not far from where we had set up camp. A small group of roman soldiers along with a small envoy was stationed there, weapons on display.

"Are you sure it's them?" Asked the man apparently in charge, wearing white and red robes. A general then. A roman soldier nodded several times, looking nervous.

"Yes, quite sure Centurion, quite sure!"

"It's a dumb idea – they are way too strong!" Another soldier whispered hysterically – but their leader just laughed in a sinister fashion.

"Strong yes, but I doubt that an arrow from my best archer will have any problems taking care of it."

"While they're asleep? Isn't that a bit- a bit-"

"Does it look like I give a damn? Take care of them now."

The archer stepped forward, and if it had just been another roman soldier I wouldn't have worried. But this man looked like a professional, and there was a look in his eyes that I didn't particularly like. He hunkered down not far from where I was crouching, and tightened the bow, readying his first shot.

But he would miss his target.

My instincts kicked in, and silently I approached him from behind, drawing the dagger from its sheath as I did. I let him focus for a moment on the task at hand, before I encircled my arms around his neck from behind – my dagger pressed directly to his exposed throat. I felt the adam's apple bob, a small trickle of blood as a result against the blade.

I kept it sharp, always.

Carefully and slowly, I leaned in and whispered in his ear. He flinched when he heard my voice so close to his ear, and I almost laughed – my teeth flashing in the night.

"Make the shot and it will be the last thing you do before I cut your throat." I whispered, my voice raw and unchecked. He tensed up, the bow still tightened, but his focus was gone – shock hindering him.

"What's going on over there?" The roman general in charge yelled out, and I tightened my grip.

"Heed my words archer, or I will make sure your death will be prolonged."

Slowly but surely then did he lower his bow, arms shaking as he did.

"Good boy. Now throw them to the side."

I let him go quickly after that, pushing him away from me. He turned around to look at me with a sour expression.

"The romans will have your head."

And sure enough, it did look like they were approaching through the trees. There were five of them, and even though I was good in a fight, I wasn't sure if I would win.

I faced the archer with a rueful smile.

"Let them have it, if they can manage."

But they only managed to get three feet away from me when a massive fist collided with the soldier closest to me, knocking him back with such force that it left no room to ponder who had just arrived.

"Romans? For me? " Obelix simpered with delight, while the remaining romans started running for their lives into the night. The situation taken care of, I stooped down in the grass to take a look at the bow and arrow that the archer had dropped.

The arrow had been reinforced at the tip with lead. If any of them had been hit, it would have killed them for sure, magic potion or not.

* * *

_Chapter notes : fun fact, the good luck charm as well as the symbol of Arabel's tribe are based on actual celtic symbols (with some creative liberties). The charm is based on a "celtic knot" symbolizing eternal life, but also friendship and love. The symbol with the horse can be found on ancient celtic coins._


	10. Chapter 10

_author's note: It became apparent to me recently that the village of Tulosa is located near the southern border of France in the Asterix universe, and not anywhere near modern day Nantes – which is where I thought it was located. Whoops! See it as a small tweak to the Asterix canon if it bothers you :P_

_The map I'm otherwise sticking to is this one : . _

_I recommend you take a look at it if you're confused about where our characters are._

* * *

**_Meanwhile, beyond the foreboding mountains of Valentia (modern day Lyon)…_**

* * *

Nothing up here moved, or even breathed, it seemed like.

Littlestix sniffed and looked over at her brother – he had been quiet for hours, ever since their kidnapper had yelled at him to shut up. He looked troubled and small, afraid. It was not the first time she and her brother had met with danger, but nothing like this.

They had been carried on horses quicker than lightning, far away from their home. The further they traveled, a little more of Littlestix bravery diminished.

But she couldn't lose face in front of her little brother. He needed her.

Their kidnappers were five unusual men – who looked starved, and yet unyielding to sleep or food. When they stopped, they did not eat – merely sat around and watched the horizon, smoking pipes that emitted a peculiar blue smoke. Her and her brother had been given a little food, but not much.

The kidnappers barely spoke, and shared few words with one another.

Despite this, it was easy to tell who their leader was.

He was a man who wore a wolf pelt across his broad shoulders, sitting apart from the others. A jagged scar ran across his face, deep enough so that it looked like someone had swung an axe into his face with the intent to tear it in half, almost succeeding. There was an eerie white glow about his eyes – the scariest thing about him by far.

Littlestix shivered, and huddled closer to her brother.

"Don't worry. They will send someone to come get us." She whispered to him, trying to remain confident that this was true.

* * *

The attempt to murder the two gauls in their sleep thwarted my plans – temporarily. The journey ahead was still long, and I could afford sticking around for a little while longer by their side.

I was not pleased, but the horse – my horse now I guess, was trotting alongside me in a suspiciously happy manner.

Obelix was happy too – but then again, he seemed to always be that way. And he could not stop talking about the events of last night, relaying everything to Asterix in minute detail, who had been asleep through it all.

"You should have seen her jump on that poor roman archer! He looked so scared, I thought he would piss his pants!"

"I think he gets it. I think he got it the first time you told him." I muttered and decided to walk a little ahead of them to avoid looking in Asterix direction. He still hadn't said anything, or even as much as a simple thank you for saving their lives. I don't know why that irked me so much, it's not like I groveled for his approval anyway. The mere thought of it made me scoff. I looked up at the horse at my side and gently patted his neck.

"Come on Horse, you look hungry." I said, leading it to a nearby apple tree. As it stood and munched happily, Asterix deigned to speak to me for the first time in hours.

"Isn't it time you gave him a real name instead of "Horse"?" He asked, crossing his arms across his chest. I took an apple myself and decided to prolong giving him an answer by biting into it, staring him down.

"Why, don't you think it's original?"

Somehow, that seemed to have done it. With a low growl the short gaul took off his helmet and threw it on the ground in a fit of what can only be described as infantile anger and frustration. It kind of came out of nowhere, but then I had also been goading him into this from the start. It was quite amusing to watch.

"Why is everything with you an argument?!" he growled and kicked his helmet into the trunk of a nearby tree. I looked at him from beneath my lashes and hummed thoughtfully.

"Maybe I just enjoy seeing you turn red."

* * *

Around midday we came across the stream that ran through this part of the country like a thick vein, deep and dark. It was pretty wide too, and would take at least a couple of minutes to cross. It was widely speculated that a sea monster lived in it, but there had never been proof.

Still, it made all three of us stop and stare down into it – looking for any signs of sharp teeth. Finally I shrugged and lifted my head.

"It's just silly childish rumors – that's all." I said, taking of my travelling cloak and folding it up, so I could carry it on my back in the water.

"Well, it can't hurt to be prepared." I heard Asterix say, followed by the strange crackling sound that came with drinking that ridiculous magic potion.

"Maybe you should have a sip too." He said, sounding oddly humble as he held out the flask to me. It was pretty obvious what he was insinuating. I scoffed and continued preparing for getting into the water, making sure that my knives were secure.

"Don't be ridiculous. I can take care of myself."

"Fine, your loss."

* * *

Despite the fact that the water was clear, it was still impossible to see the bottom of the stream. Another odd thing was the current – there was none. The water was perfectly still, peaceful. It made for an easy swim.

Stranger still, I didn't spot any fish – or any life at all in the water. I had to coax the horse a fair bit to get him into the water, and he seemed spooked.

"It's okay big guy, its only a little water." I said reassuringly next to him as we swam.

We had almost reached the other shore, the water just reaching past my knees so I stood up and shook out my hair.

"See? Nothing to worry about." I said confidently. And it would be punished. Asterix looked back at me, his eyes wide.

"Arabel, move!"

But there was no time. Something grabbed hold of my foot with a painful grip and dragged me beneath the surface of the water with impossible force – hard enough to make me loose all sense of bearing. The water was too dark to see anything – I tried in vain to struggle against what was holding me with my knife, stabbing at the huge dark claw that had digged its talons around me. But its flesh seemed hard as stone, unyielding.

I growled into the water – a waste of breath, but what did it matter when you are about to die?

I felt us going deeper, and along with it my lungs constricted and hurt terribly. The last thing I was aware of before succumbing to darkness was the sharp taste of copper in my mouth.

An awful, screeching noise from below that abruptly stopped and became quiet.

* * *

I don't know how much time had passed. Or if I was even still alive. I was still in the water, and I couldn't move – my body was shut off. I felt something warm touch my shoulders, quickly pulling me up.

When I fully awoke, it was because droplets of water was falling on my face. I blinked, my chest heaving for breath. Asterix was staring down at me, and I hardly recognized him. I had never seen such an expression on his face before.

"That's it, breathe. You're going to be alright."

I began coughing vehemently, and turned to my side to throw up what felt like buckets of water as he rubbed my back.


	11. Chapter 11 - village of Cavignac part 1

I pushed Asterix away from me as I attempted to get my bearings – but he wouldn't ease off. My hair hung around my face in limp strands and my pants were mostly torn to shreds as I continued to cough up water.

"Lie still, you've just been injured!" he said in alarm but it didn't register in my ears – I hissed back at him

"Just get away! I'm fine!" I said, and of course right after I had done so I began to feel the pain radiating from my leg. I looked down and saw that it was a bloody mess from the knee to my foot and cursed under my breath.

Asterix didn't say anything at all, just hunched down on his knees in front of me and watched me for a while with dark, speculative eyes – and I didn't like it. Obelix cleared his throat, for once displaying some sense of tact.

"There is a village not far from here where we can get that fixed – is that not so Asterix?"

* * *

Obelix carried me there with ease (after many words of refusal from me, I had to relent since the pain was beginning to overwhelm me). The black stallion followed at the back of our little group, and every time I glanced back it neighed in a soft, almost reassuring way.

I kept mostly quiet for the duration of our trip to the village of Cavignac, as did Asterix who looked deep in thought.

This village as we arrived was far different than the last we had come upon. For starters, there was no barricades that surrounded it. The buildings looked half-roman, half- gaulish. It was apparent that they had been integrated with roman culture here, but still in keeping with the old traditions. But it seemed peaceful enough, with no enforcers to be seen.

A local shopkeeper with dark hair came forward and greeted Asterix warmly, shaking his hand. His jovial expression dropped however as he saw me and the state of my bleeding leg.

"Ah, mon dieu! You should visit our healer for that immediately! What on earth happened?" he asked with wide eyes. I was in no mood to answer questions.

" A seagull got hungry." I muttered.

* * *

Their druid was similarily also dark-haired and spoke in a mix of both french and another language I was not familiar with – so much so that I had to ask as he began to clean my wounds. I winced as he roughly cleaned out the puncture marks where teeth had sunken into the flesh.

"Ah, it is spanish senorita – most of the people in the village here come from spain." he explained as I breathed out, lying down on a long table as he tended to me. The druid turned his back to me for a moment to get more supplies from a little cabinet in the room. It's ceiling was decorated with several pieces of painted glass that when sunlight hit them, cast amazing painted alight across the room.

"Why is that?" I asked as I lied there. The druid did not answer for a long moment.

"Slave-traders have a funny way of bringing us wherever they go."

* * *

When the druid was done, my leg was bandaged up with soft fabric. He had put a soothing salve on the wounds and stitched them up, just like Getafix had done. I swung my legs to the side and flexed them – feeling a bit better already, even though it still hurt quite a bit. I had been given a pair of new pants, these ones a lighter brown shade than my old ones, but I didn't mind as long as they were clean and not soaked with blood.

"They will heal quickly if you take it easy for a few days." he explained as I gently got on my feet again, testing the waters. I scoffed at his words and picked up a trinket in the room at random, tracing my fingers along the painted white skirt of a little figurine made of clay.

"Easy? I don't know if I can do that."

The druid sighed at my words and folded his arms across his chest. He reminded me way too much of Getafix.

"I suspected as much. Senorita, deeper wounds will heal only if you let them. Remember that."

"I will – I'll try."

I didn't know then that Asterix was lingering by the door, listening in on our conversation.

* * *

Obelix had found room for us with a small family nearby for the night, since it was quite late at this point anyway – the sun hadn't quite set yet as I met Obelix in the small village square. The dark stallion was with him and it came forward when it saw me, buffing gently against my head with its snout. I patted him and stroked his back, swallowing the impulse to rest my head against its flank.

"Where is Asterix?" I asked, as I didn't see him anywhere. Obelix gestured somewhere behind him.

"Oh, he went to take a walk – he had a lot on his mind I guess. " he said casually, like it was normal for Asterix to take off for a while like that. I looked around the village among the trees thoughtfully.

"I guess so."

A female villager bumped into Obelix suddenly (he was a quite large man after all) and laughed as she did. She was wearing a tunic and a loose, flowing skirt in a stark red hue, her eyes lined with dark kohl.

"Hey there strangers – you taking part in the dancing contest tonight? It's going to be fun!" she said with much enthusiasm, that I could not quite match. I pointed downwards and shrugged.

"Eh, sorry – bad leg."

Obelix however seemed overjoyed at this news, his eyes lighting up and his twin braids wiggling like the ears of an overexcited puppy.

"Dancing contest? That does sound like fun!"


	12. Chapter 12

The day was slowly approaching evening, the sun still lingering on the horizon. I stared up at the sky and wondered how the kidnapped children were doing. I sighed and had to accept that there was nothing at present I could do about it.

I knew I would have to face those responsible alone, and I also knew that I might not survive that encounter. It was something I had come to accept.

I was shaken from my gloomy thoughts when a villager brushed past me, making me take in my surroundings once more. Even though there were not that many cottages in the village, there were a lot of people gathered in the center of it all of a sudden.

Colorful garlands had been strung up among the oak trees that grew between houses, and most of the women were dressed in very colorful dresses in bright colors. A cooking station served roasted boars and some kind of sweet pastry with cream on top that Obelix was quick to get his large share of.

One of the women passing me by saw me and grinned sharply, like she knew who I was. She said something to me that I couldn't quite understand in spanish, and then placed a pale blue flower behind my ear. _que hermoso caballo salvaje_.

I blinked and merely stared after her, not knowing how to respond to that.

* * *

Unlike the last time we were offered food at the other village, I actually ate the food – I was hungry beyond belief. The boar had been seasoned with tomatoes and other, sharper spices that burned my tongue – but it wasn't bad at all. I stopped myself short of licking my fingers clean when I was done – unlike some in my presence who was eating like a pig as per usual.

Asterix was still nowhere to be seen as the foretold dancing competition started – one of the female villagers had sat down close to me and Obelix on the grass, explaining what was going on to us who couldn't understand the language.

"The women compete in who can perform _flamenco_ to perfection – to elicit joy in their audience. " she said and I leaned forward so I could hear her better over the din of people talking and laughing around us. Two men with guitars took a spot at the center of the crowd, getting ready to play.

"What does that word mean?" I asked, and the woman smiled in a secretive way.

"It is fire – it is a dance of strong emotions – watch and you will see."

A young woman stepped forward into the center – where there was a large flat stone slab on the ground, a sort of pedestal to stand on. She jumped up on it and began to dance – moving her feet rhythmically, inching her long skirt up in an almost seductive manner. It was not so much her dancing to the music that the band was playing – the dancer and the music seemed to be dependant on each other, the guitarist speeding up whenever the young woman moved faster. People around us whopped and cheered as she finished, and another one took her place.

It was interesting to watch and the music was catchy, but I still didn't really see this "fire" the villager had talked about.

The competition lasted for a long time, and I was about to call it quits and hobble over to our designated cottage to stay the night in when there was a sudden hush among the crowd. The music had stopped as well, and I saw a woman – a bit older than the others in the competition, making her way through the throng of people. She was different from the others – her features sharper, her dress simpler. People got out of the way as she drew near, if it was out of respect or fear was unclear.

When she moved into the center, I could see that she bore a strange scar around her throat – like she had survived a horrific accident. The vivid, red mark against her neck did not however distract from the intensity of her eyes – dark and soulful as she gazed around at the villagers. When she started dancing, she did not give the band any chance to keep up.

The dancers before now had all expressed happiness and joy in their dancing – laughing along with the audience, inviting whoever to join in. This woman moved like every step was sacred, like it was printed upon her heart. Her whole body, not just her feet, moved in a sinuous, almost instinctive fashion. Her hands shook and her expression was almost painful at times.

But, occasionally she moved her arms above and around herself – and this, for some reason, struck me to the core. _Why did it seem so familiar? I know this, I know this._

Without really aware of what I was doing, I slowly stood up and started mimicking her hands, the gestures she was making. Sharp, aware – she saw what I was doing and continued watching me as we danced. Our gestures were becoming a mirror image of what the other was doing. Before long, I could match her, and it strangely felt like I was going through the motions of something I had already learned.

_I can feel the fire in my hands._

I craned my neck, my body to the left and the woman followed. I lifted my arms, my hands shaking as if trying to get away from an imaginary foe, only to let them fall and draw patterns across my body and away from me. I turned and she turned, like twin cusps of wind. We lowered our bodies in an almost fighting stance, only to slowly rise again, stomping our feet in time with the beat of the music before we whipped around each other – dark hair flashing against the setting sun. It was a battle and it was not – it was a sparring match, where no winner is really to be had.

The movements of our hands got slower, moving through the air around us like we were painting smoke with our fingers.

Before I knew it, we were bowing to each other, both of us panting, out of breath. A stunned silence reigned around us before someone started clapping – then soon enough everyone was cheering extremely loudly. People came up to me and patted me on the back, shouting brava, brava! De nuevo! I stood there, sweaty and panting, not really comprehending what had just happened.

It was then that I saw, beyond the large crowd, a familiar figure leaning against one of the oak trees. I was surprised to see that it was Asterix, and I realized that he must have been watching the whole thing. My eyes were wide as I openly stared at him, and he seemed similarly stunned. Like he was truly seeing me for the first time.

Then he did something I never imagined he would – he lifted his hands and started clapping.


End file.
